Atapuma attacked by bandits on training ride in Colombia

During a training ride in Colombia, BMC's Darwin Atapuma was attacked by two bandits who demanded that he give them his bike. Atapuma, who broke his femur during the 2014 Tour de France, suffered knife cuts to his left arm and wrist during the altercation and is now recovering from his injuries in his hometown of Túquerres.

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"It was a stressful event and I was lucky the police were able to get the two guys," Atapuma told BMC's chief medical officer Dr Max Testa.

Atapuma will wear a protective cast on his arm while his injuries heal but is still able to ride his bike and will train indoors for the next 10 days.

"Darwin is in good spirits, but a little disappointed because the training was going well," Testa said. "The day before he was attacked, he did a five-hour mountain bike ride."

Atapuma's injuries are not expected to see a change to his racing program which starts at Tour Méditerranéen in mid-February. The 26-year-old will return to Europe for a training camp in Spain before making his 2015 racing debut.